Email a copy of 'Dexter Fowler Notes: White Sox, Orioles, Jones' to a friend
Loading ...
By Mark Polishuk | at
Email a copy of 'Dexter Fowler Notes: White Sox, Orioles, Jones' to a friend
MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com
hide arrows scroll to top
sophiethegreatdane
If the plan was to go back into free agency next year, then why didn’t he take the QO from the Cubs to begin with. I’m sorry, but there’s a stench emanating from the Fowler/Case camp. There was clearly an agreement in place. He’s texting Jones about coming to Baltimore, and telling Rizzo that he’s leaving Chicago. Then his idiot agent has the temerity to rip the Orioles for saying they had an agreement? Close figures if he stomps his feet and whines about the Orioles everyone will forget that he cost his client millions of dollars this offseason. Perhaps I can hire Close to negotiate my salary down by 20%, then blame my employer.
nrd1138
The Cubs were the only team with the ability to offer a one year option and not have to think about losing a pick, so it also makes sense that the Cubs were able to give Fowler what he wanted. I think the Sox have too much rebuilding to do to lose a pick on a 1 year gamble that Fowler was the final piece to make the playoffs and even go further.
ironwolf
Ditto for the Orioles. For a team that needs to hold on to their draft picks—unless you’re truly getting a stud, which Fowler was not—that opt-out clause Fowler and his agents wanted was a deal breaker. No way they were going to risk losing that pick for possibly only one year of commitment.
There was a good article on fangraphs.com yesterday about the problem of qualifying offers with players like Fowler. A lot of interesting suggestions in the comments section too. Why do players like Fowler get the same QO as the superstars? And they only get a week to try and determine what the market might be for their services. The system definitely needs some tweaks.
mike156
Fowler is a good example of the limits of the QO. He’s not a star–merely a player someone might be willing to risk overpaying for one year to get back a draft pick.. The system fails for him, as it does for a player in his mid-thirties who has one last chance at getting a decent multi-year contract,
mehs
They should have the QO guarantee 3 years using the current formula. It would make it much more reasonable to accept the offer since there would be some guaranteed stability as well.
seamaholic 2
I hate it when this argument comes up. The Cubs gave up a pick to sign Fowler every bit as much as any other team would have — unless you honestly believe he would have gone unsigned all the way to the draft.
nrd1138
Not really IMO, the Cubs offered a QO to Fowler, which means he could have taken it back then (and probably should have based on what he is getting now), and ‘cost them a pick’ one can argue that the Cubs are far better off with their minor league system than the Sox are, at least that is all I hear about in Chicago. (not sure about the O’s). Finally the Sox got a comp pick already but would have lost it, the Cubs had no pick to ‘give up’
eggy
That just is not true as the Cubs gave him the offer
dro03
Yeah thats a good point but it feels like the Sox just half a$$ed they’re way through this offseason. Kinda trying with Lawrie, piqueing fan’s interest with the Frazier trade, then missing out on seemingly everyone has been really odd to follow. Just seems to be a representation of their past ten years, trying but never separating from the rest of the pack.
nrd1138
Not sold on Lawrie at 2nd, was not sold much on him being at third either..It makes you wonder if the Sox did not know they were going to get Frazier so they first got Lawrie for third, then thought we can move him to second, but he glove is a bit suspect to me as well (not really good to give up runs with the glove, not matter how many he drives in in a game). The problem is mixed messages, if the Sox are really ‘going for it’ then they should have done whatever it took to get Cespedes. He would have been a boon to the fan base (ticket sales) the line up , and improvement in the OF, AND would not have cost the Sox their comp pick.
hchase27
I wouldn’t mind seeing Austin Jackson in an O’s uniform next year.
marco1968
Reimhold is done. He’s been a “prospect” for 11 years…..sorry, next! The Orioles wont trade for Jay Bruce because all he offers is maybe some power and his hitting generally over the past 2 years does not inspire confidence and anyway that would leave Trumbo in the outfield most of the time with Bruce DHing…why bother? I like Henry Urrutia . He OBP was climbing end of 2015 when he was called back up. If he can learn to take more walks and keep the OBP up, he has 15-16 HR pop. Loss of 20 SB bases not such a big deal on a team constructed around 5 or 6 home run hitters. If he starts to come on in spring training I would stay with him and keep the 35 mil not spent of Fowler for a later season acquisition or use it for more pitching help now. Austin Jackson would be a good pickup if the terms are right.
amishthunderak
Please don’t ever say “Pale Hose” again.
michaelw
The QO has to change. Look someone like Hayward gets a QO he be stupid to take it. Most top stars wouldn’t. Now if there was some adjustment for people like Hayward or top tier player it be different. Hayward or Zimmerman or Umpton are not taking 15.8 million. Their value to high. This really goes two ways. Fowler over looked the market. Not that he’s not worth more, but between all the OF out there and teams like Rockies n Reds dumping players it was too flooded for this year. The QO just protects the Cubs. Yes when you look at it that way he probably would have taken it if he knew now what he should have known then. Really this was the perfect storm for the Cubs. They knew it. Seems everything has gone right so far for the Cubs. Now we just need to have a great season – post season n win a title. That be a story book ending.
michaelw
What I wonder is had Flower taken the QO would Cubs have still signed Hayward?